Boris + Yuliya /// “Bungee jumps, Macaroons and I do’s”

Are you adventurous? Are you the kind of person that would jump out of an airplane, spit in the wind, tug on Superman’s cape? Well I’m not. I wish I was, but I’m just not. I’m a big old wussy. Although after experiencing this most recent wedding I feel a little more adventurous. I hope after reading this blog and watching this film, you might too!

Boris and Yuliya are way too cool, where do I begin! They love being spontaneous and living life to the fullest. Their joy and passion for life is infectious. They called in one day and said, “hey, we are looking for something a little different, we have seen your work and we feel you might be the the right team for the job.” I love when people want something a little different. So I asked, “what kind of different are you looking for?” To which Boris replied, “We are going to be getting married in a little Macaroon store, then we want to jump off a bridge with our whole family to celebrate this moment.” Are you kidding? Of course I want to shoot this! WOW! I almost dropped the phone and headed right to Best Buy to pick up the latest and greatest GoPro so we could get a first person view of the jump. When I met Boris and Yuliya in person, they suited their wedding plans perfectly. They were fun-loving and probably the smiliest people I have ever met in my life. We chatted for a long time about all the amazing personal and unique moments happening at their wedding. Where do I sign, I want in, lets get crazy guys!

This booking only came up a few weeks before the wedding so our team needed to act fast. We checked out the Macaroon shop — now when they said it was small, well, it seems like an understatement. We might have had 10 square feet to shoot the entire wedding ceremony. Good thing my buddy Doug Cameron was the officiant because we were all going to be getting up close and personal for this one.

Now since the ceremony was so close, we needed a lens that would allow us to be flexible. Both Eric and I shot on the 5D paired with a 50mm lens. This combination was perfect to not only get a stunning shot of the couple but also allowed us to move quickly and pick up reactions from close family and friends.

We are rarely able to get that close, so we took full advantage of it. Some of the reactions from the friends and family were so beautiful, we loved how it looked and felt! After the ceremony we broke a glass, shouted Mazel tov, downed some Macaroons and were off to Whistler Bungee to take the next big step in our lives — literally.

Remember how I said that this film might give you the courage to do something adventurous? I was a little nervous, we had never done anything like this before. Just standing on the bridge made me shake a little. But once the wedding party arrived it was like I had both feet on the ground. They were all so excited and eager to bungee jump, it was no big deal to them. What a great example of living a full and carefree life!

The entire family jumped — sisters, brothers, fathers, it was so awesome! Boris and Yuliya were the last to take the plunge (again, sorry for the bad wedding/bungee pun). We made sure to strap a GoPro on them for the jump. We knew that having this angle would really be an amazing last shot in the film. Seeing the two of them jump form their POV would really make the audience feel like they are on this journey with them. We also made sure to have a big epic slider shot in the trees, giving you some perspective. Right from the start we knew we wanted a shot where the two of them are on the edge of the bridge and just about the jump. Five, Four, Three, Two, One — they jumped! It was a moment we will never forget. These two people just don’t care, they are who they are and they love living life to the fullest in every sense of the word.

When it was all over they asked me if I wanted to jump, unfortunately I still chickened out. I know, I know, I’m lame. I did have one piece of my equipment make the jump off the bridge though…(rest in piece Zacutor Z-Finder…sigh)

This was our first time shooting a wedding at Soirette Macarons, Although it is not typically a wedding ceremony venue, we hope we get to shoot something there again really soon! They were amazing to work with and the lighting was fantastic! I will admit I did sneak a few Macarons, maybe one to many….

Also we can’t forget to mention Doug Cameron, he was the marriage commissioner for the wedding as well as the officiant for my wedding back in 2012. We were able to catch up when I had him come in to the studio and re-record a few lines from the ceremony. I always love catching up with Doug, he is one my favourite people and one of the most passionate marriage commissioners in Vancouver!

As if all this excitement was not enough we also got to work with our good buddy Aguilar Lam of Memento Photography. He is super talented and a very generous dude, Not only did he recommend us for the gig but he also picked up the tab for the post wedding drinks we had in Whistler. Next time it’s is on us, Aguilar.

Also a special thanks to Whistler Bungee. You were so accommodating and so much fun to work with! You make jumping off a bridge feel so easy, haha. We can’t wait to come back!